"Do you snore, John?" I asked a patient during a new patient exam. "Do I ever, just ask my wife," he said with a smile. He was a smart guy and wanted to know why I asked. I went on to tell him that his front teeth were worn, and that's a tell-tell sign of snoring. John also had a large neck and a large tongue that fell back into his throat when he opened his mouth. His shiny teeth were also a clue. Stomach problem can create excess acid in the mouth, which will cause teeth to have a shine. All of these conditions usually coincide with sleep apnea.

Believe it or not, this is a highly infected tooth that I surgically extracted from a very sick patient. The lay public needs to know that infected teeth can kill. I know it is not pretty but this subject cannot be ignored.

Spreading Infection

Science has proven for years that infections from the mouth travel to other parts of the body including heart, lung, kidneys, brain, newly placed valves, organ transplants and joint implants.